- Joined
- Jul 24, 2007
- Messages
- 3,285
I do love the look of that black Bradford Guardian 3 myself.
-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is available! Price is $250 ea (shipped within CONUS).
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/
Help Me With My First Nice Fixed Blade
- Thread starter Michael Lankton
- Start date
For your uses, I'd go with the Bradford Guardian 4. It carries the best and is the best allround knife of the 3. While the Lionsteel is good, the rounded spine gets in the way of some bushcraft tasks and firesteel scraping. I've been eyeing the Winkler Woodsman myself, too, but the steel isn't stainless and it's a lot of money for 80CrV2.
Don't use knives for self-defense. That's just silly.
Don't use knives for self-defense. That's just silly.
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2018
- Messages
- 753
Gladius
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2016
- Messages
- 1,627
Another vote for Winkler. Tough-as-nails knife and nice fitting kydex.
- Joined
- Mar 8, 2018
- Messages
- 1,169
Here is what I usually carry.
A Spartan Blades CQB tool paired with a folder for cutting things.
Some others I’ve considered that aren’t small daggers are the Kabar Hinderer Hellfire, Clinch pick, and Spartan blades Shinto for something larger but those are a different in the way you use them so I stick to what I know I best.
Your choices are more outdoors knives and edc knives. For those for sure the Lionsteel. My favorite two knives in those styles are the 3 dogs knives MAK and TOPS Tex Creek.
A Spartan Blades CQB tool paired with a folder for cutting things.
Some others I’ve considered that aren’t small daggers are the Kabar Hinderer Hellfire, Clinch pick, and Spartan blades Shinto for something larger but those are a different in the way you use them so I stick to what I know I best.
Your choices are more outdoors knives and edc knives. For those for sure the Lionsteel. My favorite two knives in those styles are the 3 dogs knives MAK and TOPS Tex Creek.
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2016
- Messages
- 1,627
1. Guns > knives. OP cannot bring a gun. Therefore, knife is better than nothing.
2. I picked DEK1. I bought 2 of them, in fact.
3. I'll use literally anything as a weapon, as long as it's the most effective thing I can get my hands on.
4. In very close quarters, I'll likely use the knife. Guns might be good, but not always and their best qualities are being able to make use of distance. Knives, in the hands of someone who knows what to do, are very good weapons when you're at grabbing distance, exactly where guns are at their least effective. Pull a pistol on me at grabbing distance and I'll take it from you, and deglove your trigger finger in the process. It's much harder to take a knife from someone.
I'll just comment that knives are a valid self-defense weapon IF the user has received EXTENSIVE training in knife self-defense. Then there is the issue of the individual/individuals you may have to defend yourself from. Likely they are experienced street thugs who follow no gun laws and are "strapped". To put it another way, don't bring a knife to a gun fight. Just saying....
- Joined
- Feb 14, 2021
- Messages
- 6
Ultimately the lack of guard on the Bradford pushed me away. Also, ordering direct from Lionsteel the M5 I wanted was only 90€, when the other variants were all priced at 160€. It seemed too good to pass up so I thought about it awhile and I just ordered it. There's a guy in Germany who makes a scout carry kydex sheath for it, so I'll get one of those. I really appreciate everyone's feedback. Thanks for helping me sort through this so I could make a decision I felt good about. Looking forward to this showing up in about 3 months.
- Joined
- Feb 14, 2021
- Messages
- 6
I would have liked jimping and M390, but this is a lot of knife for 90€. I feel better about this grip vs the Bradford.
Active imagination, could just be a couple of 120lb teens who run like the wind at the first pusk back
. The Spyderco Matriarch and Civilian are designed to need minimal training to be effective.Everyone is a tough guy on the internet, so no one is a tough guy on the internet. There's a lot of people who don't know what they're talking about. That'll get people in trouble.
I can't use a gun either. I still wouldn't use a knife for self-defense. The only thing that'll happen is that you'll give your opponent an adrenaline rush and yourself a conviction. Use training, your sneakers or your fists. If you must carry something as a weapon, use something blunt and with range, like a baton or a cane. Knives suck as weapons, unless they are purpose built for it (and even then). Hint: purpose built knives for combat aren't exactly suited for EDC.
M
Michael Lankton
: Oh wow, you got that M5 for €90? That's a steal for such a beauty!
Edit: (Sorry for the double post. I meant to add it to my previous post and I messed up. )
Edit: (Sorry for the double post. I meant to add it to my previous post and I messed up. )
Not sure if you're calling me an internet tough guy, but interesting flex if you are.
Self defense where I live isn't predicated on the tool used. It's predicated on the level of force employed being justified. Deadly force is deadly force, gun, knife, 2x4, cannon. Doesn't matter as long as it's justified (presented with a threat one can argue to a reasonable person could lead to serious harm or death to yourself or others). Large group of people armed with nothing but fists and feet can get you there, easily....for example.
You're right, lots of people dont understand the use of force, nor the legal justifications for it, or how to articulate it to law enforcement. Understanding this is of huge importance when considering any action besides running.
Your advice is just as likely to get someone hemmed up. Killing or seriouly hurting someone with a baton will land them in legal trouble just the same as if they cut them up or shot them. Thinking otherwise is stupid. Also, in the usa....pistols and knives are much more legal to carry than a baton, in many states.
But hey, Im an internet tough guy who knows nothing.
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2021
- Messages
- 47
"Is that a nearly 10" of knife under your shirt or are you just happy to see me?"
I own a White River M1 Backpacker Pro (without the two big lanyard holes in the handle). It's a solid and ergo small knife in S35VN. Personally, it's a little too small for me.
I'm looking for a more versatile higher quality fixed blade too (in 3V). I thought I was going to be happy with just the small 3" blade, but I kept going to back to check out the Bradford Guardian 4.5 and 5.5.. Only thing stopping me from pulling the trigger is the awkwardly long handles on the 4.5 and the 5.5.
I also ran into a couple of peole complaining about the fit and finish, the gimping, the sharp and rough lanyard hole, the sharp exposed tang. Then there are also a bunch of people who never had these problems. Bradford's quality control perhaps?
Last edited:
Oh, it wasn't meant as a personal insult, and I hope you won't take it as such. The point I was trying to make is that, when it comes to self defense or martial arts, it's impossible for the casual reader of a forum like this to distinguish between people who have valid expertise and the somewhat eloquent keyboard warrior.
Any use of force will carry legal risks, as you rightly point out. So what I meant with the baton/blunt weapon was more along the line that if you do decide to cross the line, at least use the kind of force that makes sense. Imho knives don't make sense as a weapon. Especially not the ones listed.
That said, I think the biggest point I can make is this: The only real advice we can offer here about self-defense is not to take any advice about self-defense from a forum.